LESSON 1

In the beginning

Focus: In the beginning

Scripture: John 1:1

Connections: Students will experience counting the books of the Bible, discovering that the Bible is divided into two parts, and how the Bible came to be.

Materials Needed: 66 books (large/small/thick/thin/hymnal, etc.) arranged on a table that is easy for students to access, each student's Bible, newsprint/marker or chalkboard/chalk, parent signature slips.

Activities:

1. Opening: Share names, grades, schools attended, and favorite subject. Invite students to get to know each other's names and other helpful information. Say: What is the Bible? Invite discussion and record answers.

2. Invite students to count together the books that are arranged on the table. One child can point while the others count. Then ask them to open their Bibles to the table of contents and count the number of books listed. Share with students the fact that each of the books tells a special story of God's people. Some of the books are poetry, songs (psalms), or laws, and some are letters; but all of the books give us information that helps us to know God.

3. Refer again to the table of contents. Ask students to discover the two main parts of the Bible. Look for the word testament— ask if anyone knows the meaning of "testament." Explain that "testament" means a covenant or promise between God and humans. The Old Testament tells us about how God created the world and the early stories of God and God's people. We will be learning about some important people who played a great part in who we are as God's children. Also, the New Testament is about Jesus' life and his teachings. Ask if any of them have friends who are Jewish. Explain that Jewish people refer to the first part of the Bible as the Hebrew Bible, rather than the Old Testament, and the second part of the Bible as the Christian Testament, rather than the New Testament. Ask the students why they think this is so. Invite discussion.

4. Ask students how they think the Bible came to be. Invite discussion. Explain that the Bible began by people's telling stories about God's part in their lives. They told these stories around campfires as a way of teaching their children about God. Play the game "telephone"—each person will pass on what he or she hears by whispering it once to the child next to them. Be sure to tell everyone that they can say the phrase only one time. Whisper into the first child's ear, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." When every child has received the message, ask the last child to repeat what he or she heard. Compare the ending message with the beginning message. Ask students what they think this activity has to do with the Bible. Tell them that some of the stories may have gotten repeated differently, but the main story was pretty much the same. Some of the details may be exaggerated, but the story of the Bible is about God and how God acted in people's lives then and now.

5. Closing: Close with a prayer, thanking God for the gift of the Bible and for helping us learn how to use it and learn how God wants us to live.

Parents' Question: How many books are in the Bible? Give each student a slip for parents to sign.

LESSON 2

How do I use my Bible?

Focus: How do I use my Bible?

Scripture: John 8:12

Materials Needed: Bibles, a copy of the Bible Bookmark for each student (page 21), crayons or markers, newsprint/ markers or chalkboard/chalk, parent signature slips.

Connections: Students will hear the scripture verse read aloud and discuss why Jesus is the light of the world and how the Bible helps us to "see" by this light. Students will discover a means of remembering the names of the first five books of the Bible, how to locate several books in the Bible, how to find specific chapters and verses, and they will create a personal Bible bookmark.

Activities:

1. Opening: Review Lesson 1 by asking how many books are contained in the Bible. Ask students how many of their parents knew there were 66 books in the Bible and how the Bible came to be. Collect parent signature slips.

2. Turn to the table of contents of the Bible. Ask students to name the first five books of the Bible as listed. Help them with pronunciation, if necessary. Tell them that Jewish people refer to these books as the Torah. Explain that Torah means "teaching" and that the Torah is a record of God's covenant with human beings. Tell the students that covenant means "promise." Say: We will learn about many covenants, or promises, between God and humans. We will keep a list of all the covenants we discover in the Bible. Show students a scroll to illustrate that the Torah is a scroll that was written by hand on sheepskin or parchment paper and is very special. It is so special that it is kept in a sacred place in a Jewish temple or synagogue. Because the paper is so fragile, it is not touched by human hands; instead a special pointer is used to help read the verses. Invite students to create a song or rap to help them remember the books of the Torah. Ask them to practice their song or rap several times until they have it memorized.

3. Invite students to open their Bibles and look through them and make discoveries. Say: Are there pictures or maps? What discoveries can you make? Now ask them to find the first book of the Bible. Ask what the name of the first book is. Help them find Genesis 1:1. Point out the...